Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation

Usually, you can only collect up to 26 weeks of regular state Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits within a 12-month benefit year. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) provides an additional 13 weeks of payments if you’ve used all of your available UI benefits.

The extension is available from March 29, 2020, until December 26, 2020. To qualify, your claim must have started on July 8, 2018, or after. Depending on when you filed your unemployment claim and if it has expired, you may need to reapply for unemployment.

• If you run out of benefits within the benefit year, we will automatically file a PEUC extension on your regular unemployment claim. A benefit year is the 12-month period from the start of your claim. You should receive a text message verifying that we filed your extension and a notice in the mail within 5-7 days. You should also monitor your UI Online account for updates and to certify for benefit payments.
• If your benefit year has expired, you must file another unemployment claim. We will send you a notice telling you to file a new claim if you are still unemployed. UI Online is still the fastest way to apply. If you have enough wages to qualify for regular unemployment, we will process your claim.
• If you don't qualify for a new claim after the benefit year expires, two things will happen.
  • First, you will receive a $0 award notice in the mail saying there are not enough wages for a new claim.
  • A few days later, you will receive another notice showing that we automatically filed a PEUC extension on your other unemployment claim. You will also receive a text message about the extension. It will be backdated to one of the following, whichever comes later:
    • March 29, 2020
    • The last certification date of your expired claim.
  • Continue to monitor your UI Online account for updates and to certify for benefit payments.